3 Things You Want From a Printing Company (Even If You Don’t Know It Yet)
If you’re looking at all the commercial printing companies out there and trying to choose one to work with your business, you might be at a loss. At first glance, all companies seem pretty much the same. They can all handle basic projects such as pamphlets and business cards, and most major printing companies these days offer both offset and digital printing. But when it comes to building a long-term B2B relationship that will benefit your business for years to come, all printing companies are most definitely not created equal. Here are three things you’ll want from a printing company someday, even if you don’t know it now:
- Custom Promo Items
Promotional gifts are a special and highly effective niche in the marketing world. Not only can small branded items be used to bring in new customers (think about pens, bookmarks, etc.), but more luxurious items can be used as thank-you gifts for existing customers — at the same time reinforcing their connection to the business and making them more likely to work with you again. Don’t work with a company that can’t help you with these kinds of custom items.
- Large Format Printing
If you want to make an impact, you’ll have to go big at some point. A building wrap or billboard may not be possible for every company, but you’ll almost certainly need some banners or similar materials at some point. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to get this from the same printing company that handles the rest of your work.
- 24 Hour Rush Printing
No matter how well organized your business is, you’ll find yourself needing 24 hour rush printing at some point. And how much better will it be to just call up the 24 hour rush printing company you already know and trust at that point, rather than frantically googling “24 hour rush printing” and trying to figure out a new system? Ensure when a company says it offers 24 hour rush printing it means it offers 24 hour rush printing on a wide variety of projects, too; you don’t want to think you have access to 24 hour rush printing only to find out your company can only print you up some business cards in that time, and not the banners you actually need for the next-day conference.
What else besides 24 hour rush printing do you think can make or break a B2B relationship with a print company? Leave your feedback in the comments.
